Of same place



(Model!) J. NUTT ALL.

COUPLING EXPANDER.

No. 307,727. Patented Nov; 4, 1884'.

| 2721 I Q, 7 g

9 .1 I J h f/jf NITNESSESI INVENTOR.

' BY c I m 5W ATTZQNLY.

' Unites States Parent @rirren,

JOSHUA N UTTALL, OF IITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR TO HIMSELF AND JOSHUA RHODES, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLlNG-EXPANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 307,727, dated November 1884:. Application filed May14, 1F84. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern: The coupling 1 is forged with straight par- Be it known that I, JOSHUA N UTTALL, a allel sides .and on the interiorsurface thereof citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsare formed the threads 2 by means of what is burg, in the county of Allegheny and State of termed a straight tap. The sleeve or coup- 55 Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered ling thus formed is placed on the table 3 of a certain new and useful Improvements in Ooupsuitable press, and within the sleeve is placed ling-Expanders, of which improvements the the expanding-ring, as shown in Fig. 1. This following is a specification. expanding-ring is composed of a series of see- In the accompanying drawings, which make tions, 4 5 6, and a filling-section or key-piece, 6c 10 part of this specification, Figure l is a sec- 7. These sections are guided and held in tional elevation showing the expanding-ring I proper relation to each other by tenons and in place in a coupling ready for operation. inortises formedon the adjacent edges of the Fig. 2 is a similar view, the expanding-ring sections, as shown, with the exception of the being forced outwardly by the plunger, which I edges of the sections between which the key 1 is shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view piece is adjusted. In those edges mortises are of the expanding-ring and coupling, said parts formed, as shown, and the tenons are formed on being in the same position as represented in 1 the edges of the key-piece. By this construe Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3., the I tion the ring can be contracted into a smaller expanding-ring being shown collapsed for its compass than ifthc tenons were formed on the 2o withdrawal from the couplin Fig. 5 is a top edges of the sections and the mortises formed plan view of key-piece of the expanding-ring. in the key-piece. The outer surface of the Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the exsections and key-piece are beveled inwardly panding-ring. 1 toward the middle, as shown, and on its sur- In constructing pipelines for conveying face are cut threads having a pitch and depth 2 natural gas and other fluids it is necessary 1 equal to the pitch and depth of the threads that the several sections of pipes should be formed in the sleeve or coupling. coupled or united together-in as perfectanian- The sectionsconstructed as described are nor as possible to prevent the escape of the arranged and adjusted as shown in Fig. 3, the

gas. This couplingis usually effected byscrewkey-piece being omitted. They are then in o ing the threaded ends of the pipe-sections into this collapsed condition placed in the thread sockets or sleeves whose interior surfaces are ed sleeve, and after being adjusted until the tapered and threaded from each. end toward threads on the sleeve and ring match the seethe center, the diameter of the openings at tions are spread out and the key-piece insertthe ends of the sockets being equal to the ex- 1 ed between the sections having adjacent n1or- 8 5 3 5 terior diameter of the pipesections to be intised edges. The mandrel 8 is now inserted serted therein. These couplings have heretobetween the sections, the end of the mandrel fore been made by first tapping a thread and the interior surface of the sections and. through a sleeve or coupling having its sides key being slightly beveled at one end to perparallel. The taperis then formed by enlargmit of the insertion of the mandrel, which is 0 4o ing the opening at each end by means ofa taperforced down and through the ring by the pluning tap which is inserted at each. end, the small ger 9 of the press, thereby forcing the sections end of the tap being of the same size as the of the ring outwardly against the sleeve or opening in the threaded but untapered sleeve. coupling and causing it to conform with the This operation consumes a great deal of time, outer contour of the expanding-ring. After 5 5 and a great many sleeves are ruined during the mandrel has passed through the ring the the tapering operation, as the threads on the key is slid inward and removedfom between taper tap are liable to cut across the threads the sections, thereby allowing of the collapse previously formed in the sleeve. and removal of said sections. The key-piece The object of my invention is to form these is wedge-shaped, as shown, in cross-section to 10c 50 tapering sleeves expeditiously and without permit of its ready insertion and withdrawal I loss, and to obviate the use of a tapering tap. from between the sections.

In some cases it may be desirable to expand the coupling or sleeve prior to forming the threads therein, in which case the,outer surface of the sections are formed as above described, but are not threaded, the threads being formed in the sleeve after being expanded by means of a tapering tap or other suitable means.

I claim herein as my invention 1. In a sleeve or coupling expander, the combination of a series of sections having outer surfaces inclined from the center outward, as described, with a mandrel for-forcing said sections outwardly, substantially as set forth[ 2. In a sleeve or coupling expander, the combination of a series of sections having outer surfaces inclined from the middle outwardly and threaded, as described, with a mandrel \Vitnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLco'rT, FRANK XV. SMITH. 

